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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28344678">Necropolis</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RayneReier/pseuds/RayneReier'>RayneReier</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Science Fiction</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:07:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,549</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28344678</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/RayneReier/pseuds/RayneReier</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Wrenly's First Live Drop</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“All right lets suit up, warriors.” Avery Spade pushed away from the holographic table loosely depicting the terrain below. “We only have a couple of minutes until the drop. Are you ready for your first ‘live’ drop Greenhorn?” He gave the newest member of the crew a serious looked. Wrenly Farodine wasn’t scared, well, not too scared. The group had been on several deployments before but this was the first time they were dropping into an active combat zone. There would be no briefing meeting, 3km hike to the objective, or element of surprise; there would be flak on the way down, explosions on the ground, and a prepared enemy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clive Hawkes let out a small laugh “Look at his face! He’s terrified!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wrenly fights well, this will be no issue,” Avery replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And we will be right there beside you.” Makmenzuk Vindehd added clapping a giant hand on Wrenly’s shoulder. The encouragement helped, but there was a reason this squad had been giving the nickname Necropolis. The air grew heavier as they got equipped in the Exo-Lab. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The small room was impressive. Tools and large mechanical arms were scattered around the two workbenches while the walls were lined with lockers filled with various mechanical bits. The four Armored Ability Augmentors, or Triple As, stole the show. Designed to turn normal people into super-soldiers, the suits shrugged off any projectile shy of a rocket and augmented combat abilities. Each was customized to a specific soldier over dozens of missions, well, each except Wrenly’s. Their resident mechanic and technical person, Quinn Zevuni, was struggling to keep up with the rapid missions and hadn’t had the time. Still, the nameplate was normally a great source of pride, today the shadows of the names it covered up were especially dark. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Avery saw Wrenly staring, “Listen, I know. But it won’t happen. You’ve been with us for a long time now.” Three months wasn’t exactly long. “You are ready. And we will be with you the entire time. We won’t… I can’t…” He couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence, but the words formed themselves. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can’t lose another one</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The group had lost 7 members over a year and for the six months prior to Wrenly, they struggled to maintain a full tetrad of Venerated, or soldiers trained to pilot AAAs. His words were an uncomfortable reminder that this suit’s previous owner had gotten burnt alive during a mission disabling an oil rig. Ignoring the shiver, Wrenly strapped the helmet on and locked everything in place. The mood was dark as they approached the weapons lockers by the drop pod. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three remaining members of the crew met the Venerated outside the drop pod per tradition. Quinn busied himself with double checking shield cell percentages and ammunition counts. Kaisa Stardust, the resident pilot, twirled her pink hair and stayed unusually quiet. Only their captain, Captain Europa Munyez dared speak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dreamhunter,” Avery’s sobriquet, “Is Necropolis ready to drop?” Unlike the rest of the crew, Europa was unbothered by the nickname. If people wanted to call them that, so be it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Holding her gaze he replied, “Yes Ma’am, is the airspace clear for close air support?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She grimaced and looked at Kaisa who had gotten distracted by something across the room. “I believe so. Don’t count on it though.” She turned to Quinn. “Let’s load up and send the PIC a present.” The world had mixed views on the People’s Interplanetary Coalition if you lived outside of it. Their goals were to unite as many nations as possible under a single banner and bring order and peace to the outer continents. Necropolis fought under the banner of the Unified Militia of Saorsa, or just Unified. While they had enough resources to stand their own, “winning” was a stretch. This mission was to retake a Saorsa mining facility. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes Ma’am.” Avery replied as he stepped into the cramped pod. The rest harnessed themselves in and Quinn locked the pod shut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Quinn’s disembodied voice came from outside, “Drop in 5 guys. Stay safe, rely on your gear and team, good luck.” Wrenly silent began counting down, sure the rest of the group was doing the same. Just before zero there was a lurch and then the long fall began. Partway down the flak started; explosive blasts of shrapnel seeking to destroy the projectile and its inhabitants. Luckily the chances of it succeeding were fairly low but the violent shaking took some getting used to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“10… 9… 8... “ Avery began to count down the thousands of meters until landfall. “3.. 2… 1… Impact! Impact! Impact!” Wrenly braced. Honestly, hitting the ground wasn’t as bad as some of the simulators but the noise outside was terrifying. The pod split apart and the group stepped out to survey the battle. They were a mere 20 meters from a small rise that some Unified soldiers had set up on. The soldiers stared in awe at the four Venerated that stood before them. Despite their usefulness, the Unified was only able to muster 4 tetrads of Venerated with most frequently running a short tetrad. Seeing Necropolis meant a lot to the soldiers on the ground, it meant command cared and the battle would likely be swinging in their favor; a rare occurrence lately. With a mad grin on their face, they renewed the fight with fervor. Avery gave them a solemn nod and led the team to the apparent commander of this force.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir! Status!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank the Prime Minister you showed up, sir!” The guy yelled over the gunfire. “I don’t know if we can maintain this attack for much longer, they also cut off our retreat. With those!” In response to Avery’s question he pointed at two large anti-air emplacements. “They must have brought them in after the capture of the facility. They let us land and begin the attack before revealing them, now we are trapped.” He gave a grim look to his second-in-command.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do we need to take care of the batteries to take the compound?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No sir, I don’t believe so. But do you have any air support?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We definitely would without those guns, we might still with them. We should plan for the former.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All right, I’ll let you do your thing. Let me know if we can help you in any way.” Avery thanked him and jogged up to the top of the hill where Clive and Makmenzuk were surveying the battlefield. It was a mostly open field with extremely limited cover making any approaching combatants easy pickings for soldiers on top of the fortress wall. A handful of small artillery pieces were also visible on platforms but judging by the lack of fire they were slightly out of range.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So Dreamhunter, what’s the plan?” Clive’s cheeky grin was audible. Wrenly could feel the tension easing in the group now that they were down in combat; this was their natural environment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mak’s deep voice rumbled, “I don’t fancy the front gate but it's doable. Would be nice to have Cuddles, those cannons aren’t fun.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, it’s been a bit since we ran against a fortress. Let’s have some…” Clive quieted as Avery turned to face him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No unnecessary risks. I’ll go ask the commander if there is a back entrance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on. It’s not unnecessary, and if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen.” Wrenly could practically see the eye-roll. The lack of concern was disturbing. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This is the day I die.</span>
  </em>
  <span> It seemed the others had accepted that. However, little could be done now but push forward to the inevitable. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The commander says this IS the back entrance,” Avery said over the intercom as he rejoined them. “I did ask the Captain if Cuddles is coming down to play. She said not likely with those anti-air cannons, but if we take those down she’ll authorize it. Looks like we have our first targets.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… Standard smokescreen and charge?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I already have the commander setting up mortars. Should be any second.” Wrenly watched canisters fly far overhead of the front lines and splashdown in no-man's land releasing thick smoke. “All right, here we go. Stick close. Turtle, gauntlet breach when we get up.” Mak nodded and the team began their assault. Upon seeing the smoke, the enemy had decided the best course of action would be to unload into it. Bullets whizzed past Necropolis. Rarely, one would find purchase but simple ricochet off their Triple As. Running at the enemy through heavy gunfire and low vision was terrifying to regular soldiers, but Venerated trained for the scary situations. They exited the smoke a short distance from the apparently “back” entrance breathing heavily. The soldiers on the wall were ecstatic to finally have something visual to target. Under increased fire the team scrambled for the wall, bullets ricocheting off them like a car in a hailstorm. Mak put his rifle on his back and activated his gauntlets which unfolded from his bracers to clamp over his hands. The metal service door didn’t stand a chance. On the other side, the team was met with a firing squad of soldiers ready for the abrupt entry. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shield going up!” Mak shouted as he crouched and turned his back to the enemy. Out of his back spread, a transparent wall tinted blue. It was small but easily protected his teammates who began returning fire over the deflector shield. They made quick work of the enemies. Avery and Wrenly cleared the room while Mak plugged in his shield cells to the charger he carried. It wouldn’t last long, but an extra minute of protection went a long way. After everyone else had a turn recharging they continued the assault. After some light combat, they found their way to the central courtyard that held the anti-aircraft guns. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oculus! Greenhorn! Go clear the walls, see if we can’t open a path for our friendlies!” Out of Avery’s armor rose a missile the length of his forearm. It was quickly sent towards the further anti-air gun leaving it a burning wreck. Wrenly leapt up the stairs making good use of the boosters the Triple A’s had; Oculus close behind. At the top of the stairs, Wrenly stopped. The soldiers on the wall had turned their gun around to face in towards the compound, a testament to how scary the Venerated were, Wrenly was about to be on the receiving end of that fear. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Whelp. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Instead of firing, the gun exploded and threw its target and operators off the 10-meter high wall. </span>
  <em>
    <span>A lucky misfire</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The world was black. “Greenhorn! Greenhorn, get up!” Every part ached and begged to just lay there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is Greenhorn okay? He’s not responding!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mak’s face appeared. “Suit says yeah. Lemme drag him inside, go help Oculus.” The ground slid beneath and the sounds of battle faded. Mak unlocked and slid off Wrenly’s helmet. “You good? That was a nasty fall to not take on your feet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was lucky not to get a hole in my chest,” Wrenly wheezed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here. Water and a pistol, everything a soldier needs. I’ll be back.” The next minutes felt like an eternity but soon Mak was back with Avery and Clive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jeez Greenhorn, I saw you tossed off the wall and thought that was it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Avery stared at Clive. “I’m glad you are okay. Can you still fight? I don’t think there is an easy way out of here. Captain! Captain, the AA is down, can Cuddles come now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes! I’m already on my way!” Kaisa responded with her normal cheeriness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need a strafe on the top of the south wall to clear gun emplacements.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gotcha! I’ll be there in 1.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, we’ve gotta get out of the area. Let’s head for the command post.” Mak helped Wrenly up. It all hurt, but it was manageable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your back shields are out but the rest of it seems just a bit banged up. Just don’t do it again.” They ran outside and across the courtyard. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oculus, where are the rest of the Coalition?” Clive scanned the compound. He pointed towards the centerpiece of the compound, a large administrative building. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There. A lot of them have been fleeing towards there. Must be setting up a last line of defense. Good luck with that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Fastest way seems to be through the smelting area. There is a…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were interrupted by the deafening sound of the high caliber rounds landing. Then came the sound of the aircraft and its accomplaining minigun; Wrenly turned to see the wall had erupted in clouds of dust with debris raining down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oops! Too much?” Kaisa asked as a combat jet flying Unified colors screamed by overheard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No? No. You’re good. But no need for a second run.” Avery replied gazing at the wall, now missing the top meter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaisa gave a short laugh, “Alrighty, I’ll be around, feels good to be uncontested.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are the Uni grunts moving on the facility?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… Uhhhh… Lemme check. Yeah, looks like it. They are awfully slow aren’t they. You could probably have a picnic before they show up.” She mused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Well looks like we’ll be on our own for a bit longer. In we go.” The smelting area was a large warehouse with several cranes about to move giant containers full of ore and ingredients. The plant looked impressive however none of the machines were running and a couple were even in pieces. A large ceramic melting pot sat in the middle of the room blocking line of sight across. As the team rounded it the doors on the opposite side of the room burst open and a half dozen soldiers ran in. A rocket flew by Wrenly as the team dove for cover behind the melting pot. Luckily it was large enough to hide the whole team and probably could block even light explosives.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. These guys have rockets.” Mak pointed out. “I don’t have energy for a deflector shield.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oculus then. Up and over. Get the rocket guy.” Clive nodded and lifted up using his Triple A’s limited flight capability to just peak over the container they were using as cover. He hovered there for a second then fired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Got’em.” And dropped back down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Let’s push before some other crazy picks it up.” Without the rocket launcher, the small group didn’t stand a chance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shield cells are running low.” Mak grunted as he leaped over the handrail to get to the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mine are too. Greenhorn?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have some juice. I’ll lead?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please.” Wrenly pushed through the doors into the next room. The most prominent feature was the forklift holding a small container heading straight towards the team. Before getting a chance to react Wrenly was slammed black through the doors and pinned against the handrail. The heavy load made it impossible to move and hard to breath. The world was blurry and sound was muffled as the rest of the team engaged the ambushers. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wow wow wow, ow ow ow.</span>
  </em>
  <span> After a painful minute the pressure was released and Wrenly fell to the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Talk about unlucky Greenhorn. You good?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wrenly coughed out, “Yeah. I think I’m lucky to be alive. That hurt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clive added, “Yeah it seems our curse is struggling to take hold.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Avery was watching the room the forklift came from. “I’d offer you an opportunity to sit the rest out but it doesn’t look like that is an option at the moment. Turtle, how’s his suit?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really, really banged up. I agree with his sentiment, ‘luck to be alive’. Quinn will be displeased but the armor is doing its job. I’ll pinch one of Oculus’s cells to give Greenhorn some energy to work with.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a nod Avery urged the team forward, “Okay, let’s go get that command post.” Wrenly wobbled up and the team continued their push.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clive spoke up a few minutes later as they crept through hallways and stairwells. “Huh? Are they just avoiding us?” He chuckled, “I think they learned their lesson.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cuddles. Are there any extraction vehicles?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. Wait, no? Why aren’t there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Avery tilted his head in thought, “Why abandon defensive positions if escape isn't an option?” The group continued their trek up to the command post. At the door, Avery drew his warhammer and Mak equipped his gauntlets. While bullets had longer range, melee weapons had the same lethality and didn’t need to be reloaded. Venerated often carried them for long engagements or close combat fights with other Tetrads as bullets struggled to penetrate and represented a weakness during reloads. Clive had a poleaxe and Wrenly had an axe, but they opted for pistols.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Avery counted down and smashed the door in only to discover an abandoned room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clive stowed his pistol, “Okayyyy… Sooo where are the baddies? They can’t have just disappeared.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. That would be silly. Although it is clear they have ceded control of the facility.” Mak responded looking at the pile of burning documents. He half-heartedly tried to save a couple to no avail.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Captain. You said the PIC was trying to claim more resources with this take. But this facility isn’t running.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Correct Dreamhunter. What are you thinking?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe this was just a simple attrition mission. Which means they might have been sabotaging the facility.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clive looked up from a destroyed control panel. “Or many they still are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wrenly couldn’t see Avery’s facial expression but he was definitely unsettled. “Okay. Okay. Well, let’s regroup with the other Unified forces to figure out a next plan. I don’t fancy wandering around with Coalition forces lurking in the shadows. Cuddles, where are the grunts?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just entering the compound. Looks like they are headed towards the courtyard with the AA canons. I hate those things.” She grumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. We’ll go meet them there I guess. Back the way we came?” Avery led the way out. The lack of enemies was nerve racking, even more so than active combat. Wrenly’s body was still complaining from the abuse. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m so done with this mission, I can’t wait to get out of here.</span>
  </em>
  <span> As the team passed the crashed forklift and into the smelting room, Avery stuck out his hand. “Something is wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clive attempted to relax Avery, “Huh? Like there is nobody here? Yeah, we’ve been over this. You’re just stressed.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no. I feel it too.” Wrenly took the lead walking across the room, wary of an ambush.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While Clive could sometimes be quick to dismiss instincts, he was still vigilant and took out his marksman rifle to scan the room. “Hold. I think I see something. 12 o’clock. Stack of crates by the doors.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wow, Clive has a nice line of sight. Wait, this room definitely wasn’t this open before.</span>
  </em>
  <span> As Wrenly stood in the center of the room a flashback flew by; the team taking cover behind a giant melting pot. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Huh? Where is it? It should be... </span>
  </em>
  <span>Wrenly looked around to no avail. A loud screeching sound from above helped put the pieces together. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh. Ha.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Wrenly’s breath returned first; it hurt to breath. It took a minute and the smell to remember the location. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Gunpowder? Chemicals? Rust? No, blood. </span>
  </em>
  <span>A montage of the past hour played. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I got killed by a ceramic pot? Seriously? What a stupid way to go, you’re such an idiot. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Wrenly tried to kick in frustration only to instigate a wave of pain. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Okay. Maybe not dead. If I am, I’m complaining to underworld HR about unnecessary pain. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Sound returned next.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shesh how unlucky do you guys have to be?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean they don’t call us Necropolis for nothing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop that. Both of you. Turtle?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh. Good news I suppose? He’s alive. Somehow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Commander. Do you need our help securing the rest of the compound?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. I think we can handle it most of it is in ruins anyways. You guys have put in more than your share of work here. We all appreciate it. You’ve saved countless lives.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just doing our job. We’ll be heading out then. Our carrier will be landing in the courtyard shortly.” The cool air meant Mak had taken the time to move Wrenly’s suit. He was currently checking for broken bones. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ow.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Hey. You’re back. Yeah, that leg is going to hurt for a bit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ayyye! Greenhorn! You’re alive! I guess the curse really can’t take hold of you!” Clive slapped a hand on Wrenly’s shoulder eliciting a wince.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe hold off on congratulations for now. Mak, let's get him on the stretcher.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay Wrenly, I’m going to give you some meds. You’ll pass out but don’t worry, we’ve got you.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Wrenly's Recovery</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The light was way too bright. Way way too bright. After a few seconds it dimmed to a comfortable low glow. Wrenly sat up and looked around. The walls were lined with metal cabinets all with large, bold labels declaring their contents; the infirmary. Not a place any of the crew would like to be but with this line of work there was an uncomfortable amount of time spent there. A drawn out hello whispered it’s way across the room. In the dim light, Kaisa was sitting cross-legged on the counter. She gave a little wave. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m alive? I mean, of course I’m alive. But I mean, I’m surprised. Well, I’m not… I didn’t expect things to turn out perfectly alright.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaisa laughed, “Hey, don’t worry pessimist, Avery said you’ll need crutches for a couple days. But yeah, your equipment did its job. Although Quinn has, uh… mix emotions about it.” The thought of Quinn picking up what remained of the Triple A and giving it a dirty look brought a smile to Wrenly’s face. “Here, do you want me to help you up? You don’t seem like the type to lay around waiting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wrenly had actually been planning on doing exactly that, but Kaisa seemed eager to do something. “Uh, sure. Where is everyone else?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you know. Around. It’s been a couple days since you guys whooped some PIC. But fortunately we’re on orders to reposition for a deep strike next week.” She twisted her fingers at the last part. Deep strikes were risky as they positioned troops far from supply lines which Venerated relied on quite heavily to support their Triple As. Necropolis was also a unique case as they maintained an attached fighter jet. Too long without supplying could quickly remove the option for close air support. “Hey! At least we have a week to relax!” Kaisa hopped off the counter and grabbed the pair of crutches resting nearby. “Up you get!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wrenly slid out of the medical chair and gingerly stepped. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ow. Yeah, that leg isn’t going to be happy for a bit. But honestly? I feel pretty good considering.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Thanks. Alright, what did you want to show me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Show you? Oh, um. I just wanted you to say hi to the crew… To let them know you’re okay.” The nervousness returned to her face and she looked away. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I figured as such. Hopefully this will be good for morale.</span>
  </em>
  <span> The two made their way out of the infirmary and through the ship to the lounge. The ship was small and most of the space was claimed by equipment like the Exo-Lab and the hanger. However the crew still had several chunks of space to themselves. Wrenly limped behind Kaisa into the lounge. Mak and Clive were engaged in a competitive video game on the tv that somehow managed to encourage shoving amongst its players. Avery and Europa were sitting at a table near Wrenly playing some sort of board game. The action ground to a halt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wrenly! You’re alive! F*** that curse!” Clive leaped over the back of the couch to embrace Wrenly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mak seemed less excited, with a brief, “I’m glad you’re alright,” he excused himself and disappeared down the hallway. Wrenly was used to Mak’s cold shoulder, and honestly the rest of the crew’s as well. Most of them treated Wrenly as a stranger; a traveller that was just passing through. It hadn’t been easy to break that stigma and the last mission seemed to bring it back into the spotlight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Europa stared indifferently until breaking the silence that had settled over the room, “Now that Wrenly is back we’ll do our debriefing. Canteen in 10 please.” She walked out on her unfinished game with Avery. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Listen. Don’t pay attention to them! You know Mak is superstitious and Europa is just, well Europa. She wouldn’t show any emotion over a dying puppy.” Clive rolled his eyes at that clearly trying to make light of the situation. Somehow it was just making things worse. The most honest person out of the bunch seemed to be Avery. He had been reliable from the moment Wrenly joined the crew. His steady eyes met Wrenly’s uncertain ones.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Relax Clive. Why don’t you let Quinn know we’ll be debriefing in 10, I’m sure the Captain hasn’t told him.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, but…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Clive. Later.” He sulked out of the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are you feeling?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Besides this leg, pretty good actually.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t talking about physically.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah, I knew that.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Avery? I don’t know. After last mission? No. I guess this life, isn’t easy. Not that I expected it to be. Not easy is probably what makes it appealing. It’s more, that I don’t feel like I fit. I… I came here because I was lost, and… I don’t think I’m finding myself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Avery didn’t respond for a minute. “I understand. I was there too once. I can’t give a lot of advice here because I had a lot of help along the way, but what I can do is be that help should you want it. Don’t get me wrong, despite not having much choice in the matter, I welcomed you in with open arms and an open mind. You are smart Wrenly, brains have a place here. Just… Don’t stay too long.” He looked down and grimaced. “Despite what Europa says, I can see the signs. They come to me in my dreams. This war is ending… Soon. Don’t get caught on the wrong side.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean by that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean. Be flexible with your loyalties unless you have a hill you are willing to die on. I’m not going to pretend to know how this ends, but I’ll do my best to keep you alive for as long as you decide to fight by our side.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks. That means a lot. I feel like I could have a place here. Even if not everyone accepts that right now… I definitely have a place here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Avery gave a soft smile, “That’s the attitude. Alright, be ready for the stern taking to that the Captain calls a debriefing. I’ll see you there.” Then Wrenly was left alone in the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry… I… I d-didn’t mean… to eavesdrop.” Out of a shadowed alcove in the wall Kaisa unfolded herself. “I didn’t realize everyone would leave and you two would want to talk. By the time I realized…” Her bright hair and the dim lighting hide her facial expression.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh! Uh. That’s okay. Uh, I’ll see you at the debriefing then huh.” Feeling uncomfortable, Wrenly hobbled out of the room and decided to head to the canteen. Avery’s words floated by again on the way as Wrenly passed through the hallway. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The war is ending? After 10 years of fighting? </span>
  </em>
  <span>The words instigated a flashback to the origins of the war, or rather, Wrenly’s war. Every soldier had their war; Avery’s came from long ago, Europa’s from even further. Both were born for the battlefield. Mak and Clive both apparently had ‘family reasons’ that neither discussed, Wrenly could relate. Parents were a rough subject, especially with a deadbeat dad and an alcoholic mother. Sabeir Farodine was a small shining light in the dingy town Wrenly Farodine grew up in. Sabeir was optimistic and driven towards the future, she would always tell Wrenly that they would make it out of there. She had hope for a better life for both of them. That hope was infectious and made Wrenly able to smile on even some dark days. All stars die however, and just like that Wrenly was left alone in the world. Constantly feeling like an intruder, Wrenly fled. </span>
  <em>
    <span>To here. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The only person missing from the room was Kaisa, the rest gathered around the main table in the room that served as both a dining hall and debriefing room, as well as a makeshift gym. No one seemed particularly excited which was generally the case. While there was no doubt Europa was a capable captain, she was extremely harsh and didn’t take failure well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay well to start, the mission was a success.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clive spoke what Wrenly was thinking, “Shouldn’t we wait for Kaisa?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A flicker of emotion flew across Europa’s face, “No. It’s fine.” Clive was clearly suspicious but dropped the subject. “Anyways. Unified forces successfully retook the facility although the damage seems to have rendered it inoperable for at least a year. Most of the damage was done in the time after we arrived.” She glared around the table. The only person willing to meet her eyes was Avery. Everyone had known the mission didn’t go as well as they had hoped, but it was hard to pin blame with so many variables that just can’t be planned for. Europa gave it a shot anyways. She mainly targeted Avery as per usual. He made the decision to go for the anti-air cannons first instead of the command post. As team leader, the pace at which the team moved through the facility also lay with him. Wrenly got some flak for slowing down the group with injuries. This part got fairly heated with some slamming of the table from both Clive and Europa. Avery mediated and refocused the conversation. After an exhausting hour the debrief was over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Europa took leave first. Clive gave a sigh of relief, “A real firebrand that one huh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t call it that. But it’s quite grating.” Mak spoke unhappily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s just who she is. Take her words with a grain of salt. We did fine, especially you Wrenly. Thanks for taking the hits this time. If it wasn’t you I’m sure it would have been someone else.” Avery added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure Avery? Cause, you know this curse business… It really went after him.” Mak looked uncomfortable at Clive’s words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I agree with Clive. What happens now? Does the curse keep trying? I can’t imagine it giving up its death grasp on Wrenly. I mean, what if it moves on to one of us?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wrenly took the new conversation as a cue to leave and slid out of the room. There was shouting coming from across the hall. It wasn’t hard to pin the voice as Europa and considering everyone else was in the canteen, it wasn’t hard to guess who she was scolding. The shouting stopped and hearing footsteps coming for the door, Wrenly dove back into the canteen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wrenly?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Europa.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Kaisa?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Avery winced. No matter how much the crew got on each other’s tempers no one ever could get mad at Kaisa, except Europa that is. Her harshness knew no bounds, it was part of the reason she never got command of a large group of soldiers or sat under politically important superiors. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clive tried to fix the mood as usual, “She’ll be fine. For now let’s try and enjoy this week-long break we have here.” He smiled and kicked his feet up. “I’m looking forward to… A nice stop in a city to resupply where we can head down to the beach, see some pretty girls and get some sun. Quinn, what about you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well besides the extensive repairs on a certain someone’s suit.” He pouted but his demeanor changed as he thought. “The ship could use a bunch of spare parts and it would be nice to get some fresh vegetables on board.” Avery was the best cook on board with Mak a close second. Quinn occasionally took a turn but the rest didn’t even try.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Avery was grinning and the conversation. “I’ll make sure Captain stops in a coastal town for you then Clive. Although don’t get too attached, it’s a long trek to the mission site we won’t have a lot of time to spare.” Slowly the crew began to take their leave of the group and return to normal activities. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were plenty of chores to take care of but finding stuff to do during downtime was vital to maintaining sanity in a small ship. Wrenly was trying to learn more about mechanics to help repair their equipment. Fighting constantly wore down gear at an alarming rate. Quinn took care of most of it but the never ending list could always use an extra hand. Despite her age, Kaisa was also quite good with mechanics although she mostly focused on maintaining her jet fighter. Beyond helping maintain equipment, Wrenly’s only other hobby was reading. A tablet could provide endless entertainment anywhere. The where for now happened to be in the Exo Lab.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wrenly had been helping Quinn but was now mostly sitting around waiting for him to need an extra hand.</span>
</p>
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